A Daughter of Demigods
by bubbleberryjammer
Summary: Tarah Foster has fought monsters her entire life, but when her best friend gets kidnapped, will she be able to rescue her before it's too late? Not only that, but it turns out that the Greek gods really exist...and Tarah happens to be a demigod. A very...unique...demigod.
1. Evil Babies Invade Home Economics

**Tarah's POV**  
Have you ever seen a monster? I don't mean like in a movie, I mean a real life flesh-and-blood monster who wants nothing more than to kill you.

No? I didn't think so.

Me on the other hand, I've seen hundreds of monsters. Every day of my life there seems to always be something that wants to kill me. The only thing that keeps my friends and me safe is my mother's old Bronze sword, the one she left me before she died.

I guess I should introduce myself, I'm Tarah Foster. I'm 15 years old and up until about a year ago, I lived in St. Katherine's home for young ladies with my two best friends, Callie Thompson and Natasha Clark. What do I look like? Nothing special I guess, I have dirty blonde hair, my eyes are normally described as hazel-green, but they often change like the colors of the sea. I'm short, and sometimes I wear glasses when I haven't lost them. I love wearing camis and jeans with my sneakers, but sometimes it's just t-shirts and jean shorts.

My friend Natasha, however, has short blonde hair and green eyes, high cheekbones, and a very pale complexion. She has a rare muscle disease and lives in a wheelchair, but she still loves rocking tank tops, high top sneakers, and jean jackets.

Last but not least, Callie is a brunette, brown eyed, dimpled, freakishly tall fourteen year old who loves off-shoulder tops and flats.

My story starts on a normal late spring morning during home economics class. The school I went to was the standard school for girls from St. Katherine's which we shared with the boys from the John Larsen home for orphan boys. More like the home for lame perverts if you ask me. My home ec partner, Jimmy Andrews, demonstrated this by smelling horrible at all times and not looking any higher than my chest.

I walked into the classroom and took my seat. Looking around, I noticed that every desk had a baby doll sitting on it. _Great,_ I thought miserably, _Andrews and I are going to raise a child. That just made my day._

Ignoring Jimmy, I pulled out my laptop and frantically tried to finish my three page essay before class started. I had just finished typing my conclusion when the bell rang. I heard the door open and looked up, expecting Mrs. Clancy, my bouncy red-haired teacher, to come rushing in with her hair askew as she dumped her bags on her desk. Instead, what I saw was a tall black-haired lady wearing a long dress that slithered two feet behind her. She seemed to be staring straight at me, and her eyes almost looked as if they would pop out of her head.

"I guess administration finally decided that Mrs. Clancy's 'A for participation!' teaching method isn't appropriate for high school, huh?" I whispered to Jimmy.

Behind me, I heard Natasha gasp. She had been Mrs. Clancy's favorite student, so it didn't surprise me that she would be a bit upset about her being fired.

"Are you kidding me?" Jimmy asked. "Mrs. Lamera never gives anyone an A."

"How would you know? She hasn't graded anything yet," Callie whispered from my left.

"What are you talking about? She gave me an F last week," Jimmy rolled his eyes.

"How could she have given you an F last week if she only just started?" Callie stuck her tongue out.

Our conversation was cut short by Mrs. Lamera taking roll. When she finished, she didn't introduce herself or explain what had happened to Mrs. Clancy. On the contrary, she acted like she had been there all year.

"Today children, we start the family unit. Each partnership will receive one infant simulator to take care of for the next week." She pulled out a baby doll from behind the desk. However, instead of explaining how the doll worked, she just stared at it. She barely moved for about two minutes. The class stayed completely silent, almost as if we were in a trance, until Callie suddenly spoke up.

"Ma'am? What are we supposed to do with the babies?"

Mrs. Lamera looked up, and I swear her eyes were about to fall right out of her skull.

"There are many things you do with children. You feed them, clothe them..." she was speaking barely above a whisper, and the entire class had to lean in to hear her. "But of course, I prefer to eat them." she growled.

Suddenly, the door slammed shut and the lock clicked. On our desks, the babies all started to move. Most of the girls had started to scream the moment the door slammed shut, except for Natasha, Callie and I. I opened my bag and started frantically searching for my sword, which somehow was able to disguise itself as a wand from Harry Potter.

"Uh, Tarah? Any time now would be great!" Callie called. I glanced up and realized that Mrs. Lamera was quickly advancing toward my friend, who was now surrounded by evil robot babies. Mrs. Lamera held what looked like giant steak knives in either hand, and she laughed as she walked up to my friend.

No, not walked. Slithered. On a giant serpent tail.

"Tarah!" Callie screamed as Mrs. Lamera reached for her arm. Suddenly, Natasha jumped up and roundhouse kicked the teacher in the gut. I continued to search for my sword, but stopped dead as I realized that Natasha had gotten up from her wheelchair. Not only that, but her legs...weren't legs. They were wool-covered hindquarters with hooves, real hooves, which she was now using to pummel the monster-teacher-thing while fending off killer infant simulators.

"Tarah, stop staring and GET YOUR SWORD!" she yelled as Mrs. Lamera stabbed at her face. I tried to shake off my surprise as best I could and completely emptied my bag. Bubbles, glow sticks, playing cards, all of my stuff was there, except for one thing. My face turned white as I realized what was missing.

"Uh, Natasha?" I called.

"Tarah, I'm a bit busy, but you could REALLY help if you would STAB this mother of a banshee with your STUPID SWORD!" Natasha was now trying her best to avoid the snake thing as she kicked her way through the sea of babies.

"That's just it!" I called frantically as I pawed thorough the mess on the floor. "_My sword is missing_!"


	2. Goats Can't Fly

**Natasha's POV**

Oh great. Locked in a classroom with twenty screaming kids, killer plastic dolls, a monster, and my two best friends who, incidentally, I'm SUPPOSED to be protecting. Not to mention I don't have a sword or any weapons at all. Just your typical Monday.

I looked over at the other students who were now cowering in the corner as a line of baby automatons marched towards them. Only one of the kids, Eugene the class geek, was actually trying to defend them all from the danger. However he was shaking like a chihuahua, and I didn't think it likely he would win. After all, the kid couldn't even throw a dodge ball more than three feet in gym.

I was distracted for a second by the Lamia, who had now transformed into her true form. I could now see that instead of legs, she had an emerald serpent's tail which extended two feet behind her and connected to her body at the hips. Her eyes bulged on either side of her head, and a forked tongue flickered between her lips. Her pupils were black slits and her eyes were sickening yellow. She hissed at me and I deflected one of her knives with a chair.

I glanced back over at the kids, intending to try and help, when I realized that Eugene had destroyed the babies with a fire extinguisher. That kid was braver than I thought! At the moment, the little genius was trying to pick the lock on the classroom door…and he was succeeding.

The Lamia snarled and jabbed at me with her knives and I jumped backwards. Behind me, I could hear Tarah and Callie hacking away at the killer babies with scissors and Tarah's pocket knife. I knew I had to do something soon, we couldn't hold out for much longer. I feigned a kick left and managed to land a punch in the monster's abdomen. She convulsed, and her eyes popped out of her head with a sickening _schluuurp_.

Ignoring the slime covering the white orbs, I kicked them under the cabinet. Lamia wailed and dropped her knives. She fell to her knees and frantically searched for them. It was only a matter of time before she succeeded, so I had to act quickly.

I closed my eyes and concentrated as hard as I could. _Come on, you idiot. I need your help here!_

Much to my relief, my mind suddenly filled with emotions, sensations, and sights that were not my own. Visions of a campfire, fields of grass, and a giant house hit me like a wave, and mixed in with it all was the feeling of unbearable boredom.

_Nat. What's up? _I heard in my head, almost as if a male voice was whispering in my ear.

I quickly concentrated on my situation and tried to relay it through images, thoughts, and feelings.

_O zeu kai alloi theoi _He cursed. _I'm coming as fast as I can, just hang in there. Don't do anything…stupid._

_No promises _I thought.

He sighed and I broke the connection just as a robotic doll tried to stab me with Lamia's knife. I easily bunted the baby across the room and turned to my friends.

"Tarah, Callie, listen to me. One of my friends is on his way. Listen to everything he says, he'll keep you safe."

"Where are you going?" Callie asked as she threw a struggling doll into the trash can.

Before I could reply, Lamia roared from behind me. I quickly spun around and tackled her-straight through the third-story window.

Fun fact: goats apparently can't fly. Lamia and I dropped straight down, and the ground was coming up fast. Then, just before I hit the ground, something from behind me grabbed the back of my shirt. I felt myself rising once more, and I thought that maybe I was saved. However, my hopes were dashed when I realized that Lamia hadn't gone splat. I looked up and saw that I was being carried by a harpy, and just above that harpy was another with Lamia in its grasp. I got the feeling that I wasn't out of danger, and it didn't help when I realized that we were speeding away from the school…and my friends.


	3. I Meet a British Boy-and His Pet Pegasus

**Tarah's POV**

Callie and I ran to the window just in time to see two giant bird-things take off. Much to our horror, Nat was clasped firmly in the talons of one, while Mrs. Lamera, (or Lamia, or...whatever!) was comfortably astride the second chicken thing. They flew off, and after a few moments they were only specks on the horizon.

I turned to see Callie crying, and I decided right then and there that I'd have to be the strong one. Knowing how that must have looked to the other kids, I knew the police were on their way, and I'd probably be the one to be blamed. I looked around for the other kids, but the only one left was Eugene. He had somehow managed to get the door open and all of the kids out. _Well at least someone was saved today_ I thought.

Eugene turned and saw me staring at him, and he blushed. It was no secret that he always had a crush on me, so I didn't blame the kid. I was expecting him to start rambling on about our killer teacher or something when he spoke up suddenly, "I could see her. I could see her the moment she walked in. I just...I thought it was another hallucination." I could hear sirens in the distance, and he snapped out of whatever reverie he was in. He looked up, and his face hardened, lips bulging from his braces and broken glasses slipping down his nose. "Go," he said, looking at Callie and me. "They'll think it's you, I know it. Go, I'll handle the police."

I surprised everyone in the room, including myself, but suddenly hugging him. "Thank you, Eugene," I whispered. He blushed and started stammering. I let go, grabbed Callie's hand, and we ran out the building and down the block to our orphanage.

As we reached the gate, someone called my name from the front door. I looked up and saw Sister Mary Clarence walking swiftly towards us. Callie looked nervous, but I smiled. Mary Clarence was always nice to me, and I got the feeling she would help us now. She always smelled like the ocean wind, and for some reason her scent always calmed me down.

"Tarah, Callie, why aren't you at school? You know Reverend Mother told you one more slip up, and you'd be on restriction for the rest of the year. Where is Natasha? I expect her to keep you out of trouble." She unlocked the gate and furrowed her brow.

"Sister, we need to get to our dormitory. I can't tell you why, but it's really important," I said in a rush.

Sister Mary's eyes flashed, and I could swear they changed color to gray for a moment, but it disappeared as quickly as it came, and she hurried us inside. "Go, I need to make a call." She bustled off down the hall, while Callie and I ran up the stairs to our room.

"What are we going to do?" Callie fretted as we closed the door behind us.

"We need to get out of here. Grab your stuff and put it in your backpack-no, not with our books! We don't need those right now!" I sighed as she proceeded to try and fit all her school books in the same bag she was using for clothes. "We don't know if that thing is coming back for us or not, so only bring the necessities."

I got on my knees and peered under my bed. I carefully pulled out my secret box and opened it up. The only things inside was a wad of money I had saved up from doing extra chores for the nuns and my father's necklace. It had nine beads. each with a different symbol carved on it. I tied it around my neck and stuffed the money in my bag. I ran over to my drawer and shoved my clothes into the bag. I looked around, _What am I forgetting? _

Of course! I looked at our sink, and there, next to my toothbrush, was my sword. I grabbed it and shoved it in my jacket pocket. I turned and saw Callie shoving her favorite hat in her bag.

"I'm ready," she said. We walked into the hall just as something large swooped by the window.

"They've come back!" I whispered. We quickly ran to the front door and I peered through the frosted glass my sword clasped firmly in my hand. I could just barely make out a figure making its way towards us.

The door handle started to turn, and I raised my sword above my head. Suddenly, the door flew open and my sword came down hard. Unfortunately, my blow was blocked by...another sword? And holding that sword...a boy?

"Blimey, what are you trying to do, kill me?" He groaned. His accent was obviously British, but he was wearing a Seattle Seahawks sweatshirt.

"Well, yeah," I replied, not lowering my sword.

"Who the hell are you?" Callie interrupted, glaring at this new arrival. I could feel the air heating up around her, and I knew she was about to fry the kid. (yes, I mean literally. It's hard to explain.)

Before he got the chance to reply, Mary Clarence bustled from around the corner. She stopped when she saw my sword, but instead of looking scared or surprised, she just looked annoyed. "Tarah, stop being so dramatic. And put that thing down! It's already the source of enough issues today!" she lectured. Ignoring my bewildered face, she stubbornly placed her hands on her hips and glared at me until I had lowered my weapon. However I didn't put it down, but rather held it at my side, ready to strike. The sister rolled her eyes and turned to this boy. "I'm glad you got my message, can you contact her yet?"

"No," the boy replied, eyeing my sword and fingering his own. "She's gone unconscious, it may be a bit before we can find out whats happening."

"Excuse me, but you never answered my question'"Callie interrupted.

The boy sighed, "Bloody hell you're impatient. If you must know, my name is Andrew Claybourne, but you can call me Andy...I'm, well, I'm a friend of Natasha's."

"Girls, he is a friend, you need to trust him," Mary Clarence ordered us. "Tarah, I can't protect you anymore, you've been found."

"What do you mean protect me? Found by who?"

Mary Clarence started to reply, but froze suddenly. After a few seconds, she turned to Andy and said, "He needs me, you'll have to take it from here." Turning back to me, she said, "I'm sorry, I'll see you again soon, Tarah. Just trust him." Then, suddenly, she was gone. I mean, she literally vanished, leaving nothing but the salty scent of a sea breeze.

"Let's go," Andy said, turning and walking out the door.

Callie glanced at me and I shrugged. "I guess we have nothing to lose," I whispered. We walked into the courtyard and saw a horse...with wings. Giant white wings. Could things GET any weirder?

I quickly discovered that yes, they could, when Andy jumped on its back and held out his hand to us.

"Uh uh, no way. There's a reason I never went on pony rides at the country fair, and I'm not starting now." Callie crossed her arms.

_Oi, watch who you're calling pony._ I heard in my head just as the horse snorted.

"It's a Pegasus, and it's either this or walk. Your choice," Andy shrugged.

"Where are we going?" I interjected before Callie could reply.

"Long Island. Now are you coming or what?"

I grabbed his extended hand and swung on the hors-excuse me, _Pegasus's _back. Callie groaned, mumbled something about loyalty, then reluctantly let me pull her up in-between me and Andy.

The Pegasus jumped into the air, and I could see Andy chuckle as Callie was forced to throw her arms around his waist. _Great._ I thought. _I'm going to end up the third wheel. _


	4. New York Here I Come

**Andy's POV**

I could hear Tarah giggling and gasping behind me. She seemed to be having the time of her life up here. Callie, to my surprise, seemed to have relaxed now that we were in the air, but she kept eyeing Jackson, my Pegasus, as if she expected to me thrown off at any moment.

"Look!" Tarah shouted, and she pointed to a distant city on the horizon. "Is that NYC? Is that where we're going?"

I just smiled and kept my mouth shut. Better to let them see for themselves.

I could see where the magical boundaries of camp started, but to the girls, it was just a small strawberry farm, nothing of interest. They continued to stare at the city in the distance.

We crossed the line of camp, and suddenly we could see the whole of Camp Half-Blood spread out beneath us. It had been nearly thirty three years since the War of the Big Three, and just as predicted, the gods had been rather…lax…in their promises. Camp attendance was very low, and my cabin, Hermes, has been filling up with unclaimed campers as of late.

Still, the cabins were bustling with activity as campers worked on their various projects. I could see Hephaestus campers greeting Cyclops visitors on the beach, Demeter girls braiding the hair of the Aphrodite cabin, Athena kids building a complex maze in preparation for Friday's games. In the distance, I could see some of the young Poseidon kids riding on the back of a sea serpent like cowboys.

Tarah and Callie were freaking out behind me, but I didn't pay much attention. Jackson hated landing with three people on his back. As a matter of fact, he hated flying with three people period. But he was the only Pegasus strong enough, so he was volunteered for the job.

We landed, rather awkwardly, and Callie was thrown off into the lake. Oops.

She climbed out, sputtering and soaking, and hobbled back to Tarah and I. Tarah laughed, and Callie glared at Jackson.

"Come on, you two. I need to introduce you to Chiron. He's…well…you'll see."

"Chiron. As in the centaur who trained heroes in Ancient Greece, son of Kronos, friend of the old Greek Gods?" Callie spoke up.

"Uh…yeah. How'd you know that?" I turned to the two of them and saw Tarah shrug. Callie looked calm and unsurprised.

"Oh, come on! It's not that hard to figure out! Tarah and I have been researching the old Greek stories for years, ever since we started to get attacked by what SEEMS to be every Greek monster known to man." Callie stated.

I raised my eyebrow and looked at Tarah.

"Well…considering the facts, it made sense. 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.' Sherlock Holmes," she shrugged.

"You read?" I asked them. These girls were getting stranger by the minute.

"No," Callie replied. "I'm dyslexic."

"Heck yeah! Everything: history, mythology, fiction, science. It's the only reason why my ADD didn't affect my grades too bad." Tarah said before kneeling down and staring at the surface of the lake. The naiads waved at her, and she giggled. "So what's this then? A camp for everyone who can see the monsters?"

"Something like that," I decided I should get them to Chiron as fast as possible.

I don't know how, but I managed to get them both to the big house without any more trouble. We were met on the porch by Chiron, and the girls didn't bat an eye at his bottom half. He waited for the normal gasp of surprise, which I know he just LOVES. When nothing happened, he shrugged and introduced himself.

"Hello girls, I'm Chiron," he held out his hand, and Tarah eagerly shook it, but Callie just shied away. She wasn't loving the whole horse thing. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

"Camp…what?" Callie raised an eyebrow.

"Half-blood. As in half-god half-mortal. This is a camp…for the children of the gods." I replied.

Tarah suddenly started laughing hysterically. She laughed so hard she started wheezing and she sounded like a dying bunny. Callie sighed and grabbed her by the shoulders to calm her down. When she could finally breathe again, she choked out, "Told…you…so."

"Oh, shut up," Callie rolled her eyes. "So is that what we are then? Children of the gods? Because it doesn't make much sense. Not for Tarah at least."

"Why not?" Chiron frowned. "You both have been pursued by monsters for years. Also, you had a guardian looking after you."

"Not just any guardian," I interrupted. "You had Mariclease. She's the one who told Natasha to come for you two in the first place. Who knows how long she's been watching you?!"

"What's a guardian? And how could I possibly be the daughter of a god, I inherited traits from both of my parents! I have my mother's hair and my father's eyes! Wouldn't I need to only be related to one of them?" Tarah looked at her necklace and sword. There was something strange about them, something I hadn't noticed before.

"Tarah, can I see those please?" I asked.

She frowned, "Why? It's just my father's necklace and my mother's sword." She held on to them firmly.

"Tarah, please, it's important!" I persuaded. She reluctantly undid the clasp on her necklace and handed it over with the sword. I examined the necklace closely, and I gasped when I realized I was indeed correct. I turned to the sword, and found that once again, I had guessed right. "Chiron, take a look at this."

Chiron examined the heirlooms, and his eyes widened. "But…that's not possible!"

"What? What's wrong with them?" Tarah grabbed her stuff from Chiron and quickly replaced them on her neck and side.

"Nothing, it's just…You're sure those belonged to BOTH of your parents?" I asked.

"Yes, my parents giving them to me is the last thing I remember before they died. Is that important?"

"It means," I heard a voice say behind me, "that both of your parents were demigods. You're the granddaughter of two different gods."


	5. My Grandparents Are Famous

**Tarah's POV**

I turned around and stopped dead. Standing behind Andy was a gorgeous boy. I mean, this kid could be a super model. He had blonde tousled hair, blue eyes with golden streaks, and dimples. He was tall and lanky, and he wore a simple cross around his neck, no shirt, cargo shorts, and sandals. A bow and quiver of arrows was slung across his back, and a small hunting knife was sheathed on his belt.

"Any word on Nat?" he asked Andy.

Andy shook his head, and the boy groaned.

"Callie, Tarah, this is Sam Jones. He's a son of Apollo."

Sam nodded in our directions politely before grabbing a Diet Coke from the mini-fridge in the corner.

Chiron just stood there lost in thought, and I remembered our conversation. Both of my parents? Is that even possible?

Callie voiced my thoughts by asking, "What about Tarah's things makes you think both her parents were demigods?"

"Well, first of all, her sword was celestial bronze, which is the metal used to kill monsters. It's harmless to mortals, they can't even touch it. But Tarah's sword was definitely made here at camp. You can see Hephaestus Cabin's logo etched into the hilt. Secondly, her father's necklace. It's the kind that we give to each camper. In the summer, a new bead is made for everyone to put on their necklaces saying they made it another year." Andy showed me his own necklace with four beads before replacing it under his shirt.

"I guess...it could be true," I said slowly.

"Tarah, what can you remember about your parents?" Andy asked me.

_Gosh, I was only four when they died_. I remembered how cautious they always were about me, but I figured it was just because I was so energetic all the time.

"Well, my dad was only 17, almost 18, and my mom was 19 when I was born. Their names were Joshua and Rachel Foster. Does that help any?"

"Maybe. What else? Where did you live? What did they do?" Chiron asked. He was obviously very distressed.

"Umm, we had a small cottage by Lake Ariel in Pennsylvania. My dad was a scientist and he was studying the ecosystem. My mother worked at the medical school in Scranton as a professor."

"What about...the night they died?" Sam asked quietly.

I didn't respond at first. Callie shot daggers at Sam, but he just stared at me. It was almost as if he already knew everything about me.

Finally, I spoke. "It was late at night, I was home with my babysitter. I had snuck out to my favorite tree by the lake and was sitting in the branches examining the necklace and sword, which my parents had just given to me before they left. Suddenly, someone pulled into our driveway and I heard a knock on our door. I walked inside and was met by a tall woman who told me that my parents had been killed. They were hit by a drunk driver. He drove off and was never identified. The lady said her name was sister Mary Clarence, and she was going to take me to my new home." I remembered how I refused to leave. I ran out to my tree and climbed as high as I could. I didn't believe the lady, and i was convinced that at any moment, my daddy would come walking around the house calling for his little princess. But he never did. And I realized he never would.

The room had gone silent as I finished. I became aware of the tears on my cheeks, and I quickly brushed them away.

Andy looked at Chiron, "Ring any bells?"

Chiron sighed, "Yes. Two campers, about seventeen years ago, fell in love and left camp together. I was against their departure, but they wouldn't listen. Their names were Josh Grayson, son of Poseidon, and Rachel Stewart, daughter of Athena."

"So...what does that make Tarah?" Callie asked.

"Technically, she is a demigod. A one-of-a-kind demigod, but still half-god, half-mortal." Chiron started pacing around the porch, which was quite impressive considering it only took him three steps either way.

My head was spinning, so much had changed in the past few hours. I noticed that Callie looked dead-tired as well. It was only about 2 in the afternoon, but cut us a break! I pointedly yawned, and Andy got the idea.

"Chiron, I think we should decide on lodgings for the girls, seeing as they'll be with us for a while." Andy winked at us, and Callie stuck her tongue out at him.

The centaur thought for a second, then finally said "Well, the rules say that a camper cannot be placed in their cabin until they have been officially claimed. Seeing as that hasn't happened yet, the best place for them would be Hermes. Andy, why don't you escort them to your cabin?"

"Wait, I have to stay in the same cabin as HIM?" Callie groaned. "No way. Not happening."

"Well, you could always stay in the Pegasus stables if you want." Andy said, pretending to examine his fingernails.

Callie went white, and Andy grinned. We followed him off the porch, but just as we reached the volleyball net, someone behind us called for us to wait. We turned around and saw Sam running to catch up.

"Tarah, can I talk to you for a second?" He asked.

I nodded, too stunned to speak. We walked a little ways away from the bickering Andy and Callie. I couldn't help noticing how gorgeous he was. Seriously, did this kid take a magic good-looks pill or something? With all I'd seen that day, I wouldn't be surprised.

"Listen, I'm sorry about asking you about your parent's death. It's just...Natasha is one of my best friends, and I'd do anything to find her."

"Don't worry about it." I shrugged.

"Well, I feel really bad. I'd like to make it up to you, if you'd let me," Sam asked.

"Ummm, sure."

"Great! Meet me after the campfire tonight." Sam said goodbye, and he turned and ran back to the house.

I walked back over to Andy and Callie. They were fighting over something, but I didn't really care. I was too busy thinking about what just happened. Callie looked at me knowingly, and I rolled my eyes at her.

We reached the cabins, and Callie and I were once again dumbfounded. Line after line of bizarre cabins stood before us. Some were on fire, some were covered in flowers, some looked more like barns than cabins. I could hardly believe my eyes. Andy led us to a simple cabin with a caduceus over the door. Inside was rows of beds and sleeping bags.

"Unfortunately, no beds are open, so you two will have to take the two sleeping bags at the end, near the counselor's bed." Andy pointed at the end of the room where two brand-new sleeping bags sat next to the only single bed in the entire room.

"Who is the counselor?" Callie asked as we headed to our bags.

"This devilishly handsome british bloke. Everyone loves him." He smirked.

"You're the head counselor?" Callie scoffed.

"You think I'm devilishly handsome? I'm flattered!" Andy chuckled and headed to his bed.

"Devilishly annoying is more like it," I heard Callie mumble under her breath.

I was so tired, I slid into my sleeping bag without putting away any of my stuff.

"Uh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Andy warned.

"Why not?" I mumbled, already half-asleep.

The last thing I heard was him sighing and saying he'd take care of it, then I was out cold.


	6. I Receive Some Shocking News

**Callie's POV**

I woke up at around six PM and yelped when I found someone's face just a few inches from my own. Sitting up, I beheld a small girl about five years old staring at me with a giant smile on her face. She had brown curls pulled back with a big blue bow, bright cheery eyes under upturned eyebrows, and an orange t-shirt with "Camp Half-Blood" written across the chest.

"Who the heck are you?" I asked as my heartbeat returned to normal.

"Crystal," she replied simply. "You talk when you sleep," she informed me.

I shook off my surprise and looked over at Tarah. She was still out cold, curled in a ball so she only took up about a third of the sleeping bag. I grinned and poked her until she woke up. She smacked my hand away and rolled over.

"The nuns aren't up until 7, give me five more minutes," she mumbled.

I rolled my eyes and shouted, "Tarah! We're almost late for the book sale! Get up!"

She jumped up out of her bag and shouted, "WHERE'S MY WALLET?!" Then she realized where we were and punched me. "Jerk," she grumbled.

"Love you too!" I trilled. Crystal giggled, and Tarah noticed her for the first time.

"I'm Crystal! Andy sent me to tell you it's dinner time. He also said to tell Tarah something about looking under his bed? Is there secret treasure? Are you pirates? Do you have a parrot? What is your favorite color? Wanna be my friend?" the little girl fired off at about a mile a minute.

"Ummm, ok, no, I wish, no, blue, and...sure?" Tarah counted off each question on her fingers. The little girl giggled and clapped her hands before promptly plopping down on my sleeping bag criss-cross applesauce.

Tarah got down on her knees and peered under the bed next to us. She smiled and pulled out her bag and mine, along with a note that said, "Hermes is the patron god of thieves, be more careful. See you at dinner! -Andy"

"He better not have taken anything," I said as I examined the contents of my bag. Nothing was missing, but to be safe, I brought it along with me. "Ok, so where's dinner?" I asked Crystal.

"Come with me!" she exclaimed. She grabbed my hand and pulled me behind her out of the cabin, Tarah jogged along behind us.

As we neared the dining area, I noticed that there were no walls. I also noticed that some tables were filled beyond capacity while others only had two or three occupants. Crystal pulled me over to the fullest table where we squeezed in on the end.

After a few minutes, a big guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt stood up at the front table and everyone went silent.

"That's Dionysus, he is in charge of camp," Crystal whispered to us.

"I suppose I'm required to introduce our new campers," he announced, sounding less than welcoming. "Everyone meet Tasha Frosty and Cory Thomson or something like that." Chiron cleared his throat, and whispered something in Dionysus' ear. "Fine, Tarah Foster and Callie Thomas. Now can we please start dinner?"

Chiron nodded and suddenly several girls with flowers braided into their hair, wood nymphs I think, served all of us our food. Just as they finished, everyone started to get up and bring their plates to the giant fire. They then proceeded to toss a portion of their meal into the blaze before returning to their seats.

"Uh, what's happening?" Tarah asked Crystal as we followed her toward the fire.

"Burnt offerings, it's for the Gods. Just scrape in some food and pray, it's easy."

We slowly made our way to the front of the line and I threw in some of my steak. Not knowing who to pray to, I decided on thanking Hermes for letting me stay in his cabin. Then I waited for Tarah to finish her own sacrafice-thing before we returned to our seats. However, much to my dismay, no sooner had we sat down than Andy pushed himself between us on the bench.

"Grape Nehi," he suddenly announced to his cup. At first I thought he was just being weird, but suddenly his glass filled itself to the brim with purple soda. He took a large sip before turning to me.

"So, Cory, did you enjoy your nap?" he asked. Then he stole my biscuit off my plate.

"Shut up," I said as I grabbed it back from him.

"No, seriously, you missed out on the grand tour. I was going to show you the rock wall, the ampitheater, and especially the stables! You like horses, right?" He teased as he ate his steak.

"I said shut up, will you?" I grumbled.

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as he continued to pester me about horses. Finally, after a poke at my sleep-talking, I snapped.

"Shut it!" I exclaimed, and just like that, something zapped Andy's shoulder and knocked him right out of his seat. He landed about five feet away, and the dining area fell silent.

Everyone was staring at me, or rather, at something above me. I looked up and saw a bright lightning bolt hovering over my head. I watched it fade away, but everyone continued to stare at me. Andy didn't even get up from where he had fallen, he just gawked at me from the floor.

Finally, Chiron motioned for me to come up to the head table. I timidly made my way toward the activities director, aware of the sustained silence and wide eyes focused on me.

"Chiron, what was that?" I whispered once I reached his seat.

"That, my dear, was your claiming. It seems you are the child of Zeus. Consequentially, you must change seats and meet your siblings," he motiond toward one of the less-packed tables off to the right, where two small boys and a girl sat smiling at me. I thanked Chiron and quietly made my way to my new seat. By that time everyone had returned to their meals and conversations. I glanced at Tarah and noticed her smiling at me. Andy was nowhere to be seen.

I nervously sat down next to the girl. She was tall with black hair, and she had dimples just like me. Her eyes were bright blue like the other two boys at the table. They both looked pretty young, but the smaller boy looked exactly like the other. Both had bright blonde hair and they both were short and stocky.

"Hey, my name is Sasha Meyers. Looks like we're half-sisters!" the girl shook my hand and smiled like she was genuinely pleased to meet me.

"Nice to meet you," I replied quietly.

Sasha nodded at the boys. " That's Jerry Stark and his little brother Taylor. Boys, say hi to Callie."

"Hi" they both said simultaneously. Then Jerry peered at my wrist intently.

"Is that a Thor wristband?" he exclaimed.

I held up my wrist so he could see my bracelet better. It was one of those rubber things you could buy for two bucks at most clothes stores. This one was my favorite because it had a picture of Mjölnir, Thor's hammer, on it. "He's my favorite superhero." I informed him.

"Our's too!" Taylor piped up from behind his brother. I was starting to like these kids. I've never had much of a family besides Tarah and Natasha before. Who knows? Maybe I'll like it here after all.

Dinner ended and I followed everyone to the campfire. I sat next to Tarah and told her all about my new siblings.

"Well, I'm glad that you're bonding with your brothers, but come on. Iron Man is obviously waaay cooler than Thor."

"Yeah right, Thor can summon lightning! Iron Man only blows stuff up with his suit." I laughed. This was an age old debate of ours, and it was mainly just teasing. But still, Thor trumps Iron Man any day.

Just then, campfire songs started. They were pretty bizzare ones too, ranging from "Down by the Aegean" to my personal favorite, "She'll be coming 'round Olympus." The Apollo cabin led the songs, and Sam even brought out a guitar and played along with everyone. I looked at Tarah and started cracking up at the expression on her face. She looked as if she had just come out of her favorite book store only to find an arcade right next door.

"You've got a cruuuush!" I trilled quietly.

"Shut up!" she replied as she rolled her eyes.

Not two seconds later, Andy appeared and sat next to me. My cheeks turned red when I saw the bright white bandage on his shoulder covering up the burn I gave him. Tarah discreetly poked my side and gave me a stern look. I sighed.

"Sorry for the burn," I muttered.

"No problem...Sparky." Andy gave me a sly grin.

I gritted my teeth in frustration, but otherwise I ignored his new nickname for me.

I noticed that Sam had finished the song and was now putting away his guitar. Next to me, Tarah got up.

"Where are you going?" I asked her as she shouldered her bag.

"Nowhere important. Listen, I'll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast. Good luck with your new cabin mates!" she slipped unnoticed past the rest of the campers and disappeared into the darkness.

Andy tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to see him holding two marshmallow sticks. He offered me one and I took it. I was slightly suspicious, expecting the marshmallow to explode in my face, but it remained a fluffy white pillow of goodness, so I deemed it safe enough to roast. We sat quietly for a few moments, but then I remembered something I wanted to ask him.

"How did you know? To come get us I mean."

"You mean at the orphanage?" he asked as he plucked his golden-brown marshmallow off the stick and popped it in his mouth. "Nat told me. We have this sort of...well this sort of link. It lets us communicate when we aren't near each other. It's called an empathy link."

"Empathy link? Well can't you use it to find her?" I asked, suddenly hopeful.

"I should have been able to, except something is blocking it. Someone doesn't want me to know where she is." Andy replied, he looked frustrated, worried, sad, angry, and restless all at the same time.

The worst part was I felt the exact same way.

Campfire ended, and I was supposed to head back to Zeus cabin. I looked toward the ocean, and I saw two figures walking. I recognized Sam's guitar case and laughed as I realized "nowhere important" was apparently code for sneaking off with a boy. Go figure.

"Well, look's like they're having fun," Andy said as he walked up next to me.

"Mhmm," I replied quietly.

"Callie?" He asked, turning his attention to me. "You alright?"

"What? Oh, yeah, fine. Gotta get to my cabin! Uh, which one is it again?" I blushed as I realized I had forgotten to ask Sasha about it.

He laughed, "Come on, I'll show you." He led me to the largest cabin in the area, a giant white marble building that looked like it belonged in Washington DC. The two massive front doors were made out of shining bronze. They shimmered and flashed, almost like lightning had been trapped in the metal.

Andy walked with me all the way to the front door.

"Thanks," I told him as I reached for the door.

"Night Sparky!" he replied. I turned to glare at him, but he was already gone.

I opened the doors and stopped dead. There was no ceiling. Or maybe the ceiling was just enchanted to show the sky, because every star was clearly visible, which shouldn't be possible this close to New York City. Torches lit with blue fire lined the walls, making the white marble glow. In the center of the room was a giant 20 feet tall colorful statue of a man in a toga holding a giant lightning bolt and a shield at his side. He looked like one of those body-builders you see on magazine covers, one with an obsession for greek togas. He had dimples barely visible under his giant grey beard, but other than that I looked nothing like the guy.

The beds were marble as well, built right into the wall like little cubbyholes. Each had a sky-blue curtain that you could pull across the opening if you wanted privacy. Some were higher in the wall than others and could only be reached with ladders.

The boys it seemed were already in bed, the curtains pulled over their cubby holes and flashlights illuminating the silhouettes of the little boys playing with action figures.

Sasha was on her bed listening to music and looking at a magazine with her curtain open. She looked up when I came in and smiled. "Do you like it? We re-did most of the interior when we realized there would be more campers living here. You know, got rid of that annoying thunder, added some torches, the usual stuff. These alcoves originally held giant golden eagle statues, but we removed those. They make wicked beds, don't you think? Pick any one you want, lights out is in ten minutes."

I smiled at her and nodded. Looking around the room, I chose the highest bed, about nine feet off the ground. I climbed up the ladder and found a space about five feet wide and six and a half feet long. A sliding door at the foot of the bed revealed a shelf to put my stuff.

I wasn't very tired, but I changed into my pajamas anyway. About five minutes later, Sasha called "lights out" and the torches automatically extinguished themselves. The only light came from the moon and stars. I pulled the curtain shut and laid on my back in the darkness with nothing but my thoughts.


End file.
